Watchdog Calls for Continued Reform as Postmaster General DeJoy Testifies Before Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) called for significant reform at the United States Postal Service (USPS) as Postmaster General (PMG) Louis DeJoy and other top USPS officials testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Despite pursuing cost-cutting reforms at the agency and shoring up the USPS’ fiscal position, PMG DeJoy has been repeatedly accused by lawmakers and President Biden of undermining America’s mail carrier. At the hearing today DeJoy is expected to correct the record and provide the latest mail service performance data. PMG DeJoy is also likely to detail future organizational reform efforts by the struggling agency.

TPA President David Williams praised the Postmaster General’s efforts to reform the USPS, noting: “It is no small or easy task to steer the USPS back into the black. Since 2007, the struggling agency has accrued more than $80 billion in net losses and currently has more than $160 billion worth of debt and unfunded liabilities. The pandemic considerably complicated operations, resulting in unprecedented delivery delays and thousands of USPS workers quarantining. Despite these disruptions and deep-seated financial issues, PMG DeJoy has moved the agency in the right direction. The USPS posted a net gain of $318 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 and continues to consolidate an overbuilt delivery network by removing unneeded mail collection boxes and sorting machines. The USPS has more than its fair share of problems, but it is on the right track for the first time in more than a decade.”

Williams continued: “Unfortunately, PMG DeJoy’s reform efforts have been met with fierce resistance from pundits, lawmakers, and the Biden administration. Unfounded allegations became particularly heated in the summer of 2020, amid claims that the PMG was attempting to ‘kneecap’ the USPS and undermine mail-in voting ahead of the presidential election. Baseless claims of stolen elections and grand conspiracies haven’t aged well, and by all accounts the USPS succeeded in helping administer a secure election process. Despite these successes, the Postmaster General and other senior officials continue to face undue criticism and are unfairly blamed for slow delivery times brought on by the pandemic.”

Williams concluded: “The USPS’ troubles are far from over. Absent significant reforms, taxpayers will inevitably be on the hook for the agency’s abysmal finances. To avoid future excess expenses, the USPS will need to secure a low-cost mail truck contract, more efficiently schedule its employees, and carefully scrutinize its commercial contracts. TPA looks forward to hearing PMG DeJoy engage lawmakers and present the best path forward for America’s mail carrier.”

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.